PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION – G.

E 105

COMMUNICATION – the exchange of thoughts, information or ideas between a sender and a

receiver

Types of Communication
Verbal Communication-

Non-Verbal Communication- is communication that occurs without words which is continuous. It

is body language and environmental context involved in any communication.

Non-verbal communication includes eye contact, hand movements, facial expressions, touch, gestures,
etc. Non-verbal communication is different from person to person and especially from one culture to
another. Cultural background defines their non-verbal communication as many forms of non-verbal
communications like signs and signals are learned behavior.

Some of the nonverbal communication differences in different cultural are:

Eye Contact

Western cultures mostly consider eye contact to be a good gesture. It shows attentiveness, confidence and
honesty. Other cultures such as Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic and Native American do not take it as a
good expression. It is taken as a rude and offensive expression.

Unlike in Western cultures taking it as respectful, other do not consider it that way. In Eastern cultures
women should especially not have eye contact with men as it shows power or sexual interest. In some
cultures, whereas, gazes are taken as a way of expression. Staring is taken as rude in most cultures.

Gestures

Gestures such as thumbs up can be interpreted differently in different cultures. It is taken as “Okay” sign
in many cultures whereas is taken as a vulgarism in others like Latin American cultures and in Japan
some even take it as money.

Some cultures take snapping fingers to get the attention of a waiter as alright whereas some take it as
disrespect and very offensive. Showing feet is taken as offensive in some Middle Eastern cultures. Some
cultures take pointing fingers as insulting too. In Polynesia, people stick out their tongue to greet people
which is taken as a sign of mockery in most of other cultures.

Touch

Touches are taken as rudeness in most cultures. Shaking hands is considered to be acceptable in many.
Similarly, acceptability of kissing, hugs, and many other touches are different in different cultures. People
in Asia are more conservative in these types of non-verbal communication.

Patting head or shoulder also has different meanings in different cultures. In some Asian cultures patting
children’s head is very bad signal as head is taken to be sacred. Middle Eastern countries take touch
between people from opposite genders is taken as bad character.
Where and how you are touched or touch changes the meaning of touch. So, you must be careful when
you visit a new place.

Appearance

Appearance is another form of non-verbal communication. People are judged from their appearance.
Racial differences as well as differences in clothing tell so much about any individual.

Grooming yourself to look good is taken as an important aspect of personality in most cultures. But, what
is considered to be a good appearance is different again in different cultures. Modesty is also measured
from appearance.

Body Movement and Posture

People receive information or message from body movements. It shows how people feel or think about
you. If a person does not face you while talking to you can mean that the person is nervous or shy. It
might also mean that the person doesn’t like to talk to you. Other body movements like coming to sit near
or far can also show confidence, power or trying to control the environment.

Postures like sitting straight or slouched also show the mental condition of the person. Hands in pocket
also shows disrespect in different cultures. For example, sitting with crossed legs is considered offensive
in Ghana and Turkey.

Facial Expressions

Face shows feelings, attitudes and emotions. The degree of facial expressions are determined by cultures.
People from United States show emotions more than their Asian counterparts.

Facial expressions are shown to be similar all over the world, but people from different cultures do not
show it in public. The meanings of these are commonly acknowledged everywhere. Too much expression
is taken to be shallow in some places whereas in some it is taken as being weak.

Paralanguage

How we talk also constitutes of what we communicate. For example, vocal tones, volume, rhythm, pitch,
etc. speak more than what words express. Asian people control themselves from shouting as they are
taught not to from childhood.

They are known as vocal qualifiers. Vocal characterizations like crying, whining, yelling, etc. change the
meaning of the message. Giggling is taken as a bad gesture in some cultures. Many other emotions are
shown by vocal differences while all of them are included in paralanguage.

Physical Space (Proxemics)

People from different cultures have different tolerance for physical distance between people. In Middle
Eastern culture people like to go near to others to talk while in others people might get afraid if anybody
does so.

Even Europeans and Americans do not have that much acceptance on the breach of physical distance and
less acceptance for it among Asians. People have specific personal space which they do not want
intruded. In some cultures, even close physical contact between strangers is acceptable.
 COMMUNICATION MODELS

 Aristotle’s Model

SPEAKER ---- SPEECH -------------- AUDIENCE ---- EFFECT

OCCASION

 Created at around 5 B.C wherein public speeches and debates are usually conducted.
 Speaker plays an active role in the process.
 Speaker adjusts the message according to the audience and occasion to achieve a
desirable effect.
 Example is the speech made by Abraham Lincoln in response to the attack made in the
Pearl Harbor in which the audience is the US Congress and the effect was to persuade
them to declare war on Japan.

 Shannon- Weaver’s Model

 Created by Claude Shannon and Waren Weaver
 Also called as the telephone model as it was developed because of the the technology
of the telephone and the noise from the switchboard.
 Sender is also the one who will transmit and encode the message; receiver as the one
who will decode and is the destination of the message; channel as the medium used in
the communication and the “noise” which interferes/hinders the message.
 Introduced the concept of feedback.
 Osgood-Schamm’s Model
 Emphasized the field of experience between sender and receiver as the necessary tool
in reaching the message to the receiver.
 Sender and receiver should share one common field of experience in order for the
message to be interpreted and to reach its destination: the receiver.
 Berlo’s Model

SENDER MESSAGE CHANNEL RECEIVER

o Communication Element Communication

Skills Skills
Codes 5 Senses
o Knowledge Knowledge
o Social System Social System
o Experience Experience
o Culture Culture

 Communication is a continuous process. In communication, all four macro skills are

involved namely listening, speaking, reading and writing.
ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

National Communication Association (NCA) laid out principles to have or achieve Ethical
Communication.

To be an Ethical Communicator is to:

 Advocate Truthfulness, Honesty, Accuracy and Reason as essential to

the integrity of Communication.
 Endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective and tolerance of
dissent to achieved the informed and responsible decision-making
fundamenatal to a civil society. “It is important to foster an environment
where people feel safe enough to express what they think or feel and for these
expressions to be met with dialogue and debate rather than violence and
censure.”
 Condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity
through distortion, violence and expression of hatred. “This safeguards
society and people from racism, sexism and violence against oppressed
people.”
 Accept responsibility for the consequences of their own communication
and expect the same for others. “ If one risks to communicate maliciously
and spread false information or incite hatred, he/she should be ready to face
the consequences of such actions”

HOW TO BE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

OR IN COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT CULTURE?

People whenever they write or speak should practice cultural sensitivity and
should use a bias-free language. In doing such means an awareness of cultural differences
and similarities between people do exist. There are five considerations in becoming a
culturally sensitive communicator.

 Race and Ethnicity

-Racism is a form of discrimination against persons of different race.
-In general, it is best to avoid identifying people by race or ethnic group.
-Communicators should tread or be cautious with the use of language and
should refer to race only if it is relevant to what they have to say.
-Example of this is the statement “The students won the math contest”
instead of saying “Naturally, the Asians won the math contest” The use of
“naturally” is a stereotype or generalization that all Asians have a good aptitude
in math.
-Another is the use of the term “Native Americans” to refer to indigenous
peoples in America over the term “Red Indian”. In this way, cultural sensitivity
is given importance.

 Gender and Sexual Orientation

-Sexism is a prejudice and discrimination based on sex or gender.
 -To refer to people in general, one should favor the use of gender-neutral
words over gender-biased words.
-Instead of using “man-made”, one should say “ artificial”, flight
attendants for both male and female flight attendant and not stewardess;
Chairperson in replace of chairwoman/man, lawyer and nurse instead of male
nurse or woman lawyer.
-One should also be attuned to the new attitudes about homosexual,
transgenders and transsexual people. Refer to them as what they prefer
themselves to be called for there are some who prefer gay than to be called
homosexual and vice versa.

 Social Class
-Classism is a form of discrimination against people based on their social
class.
-Example of a bias language against class is the term “White Trash” or
“White Breed”. This is used to refer to the people who live in the rural areas of
Southern U.S. who also came from a lower social class in America.
-In Philippine context, calling people as jologs or jejemons because of
their way of style and speaking is another example of a bias language and
insensitive communicator.
-Another example is using the terms squatters and underclass to refer to
poor people. Informal settlers and less-privileged are the terms one should use so
as to be culturally sensitive.

 Age
-Ageism refers to the discrimination and prejudice against people because
of their age.
-In referring to persons in general, one should be cautious on how these
people preferred to be called. Do they wish to be called “Senior Citizens” or
Older People” or do the young people preferred to be called as teenagers, youth or
young people?
-One should also refer to girls who are 18 years old and above as lady or
woman for the terms “girls” may sound childish to them. Same situation goes for
the boys.

 Disability
-Discrimination arises in this area because of lack of awareness and
understanding of certain terms regarding disabilities.
-In referring to persons with disabilities, one should favor to use an
identity-first language which means one should focus more on the identity not on
the person’s disability/ies.
-Example is when you refer to the “blind students” as “visually impaired
students”, “persons with HIV rather than “HIV victims”, “not typical” for those
persons which we usually refer to as “abnormal”.

Today, that we are living in a globalized world, it is imperative to be aware of

these factors and to be culturally sensitive whenever a person communicates
 especially to people with different cultures, so as to avoid conflicts, disputes,
misunderstandings and problems. The most important thing above all is to
communicate in respect and in acceptance of cultural diversity.

Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication

1. 1. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
2. 2. EYE CONTACT/GAZE a. Americans look directly in each other’s eyes when talking. b.
Most Western people think that if people are afraid to look others in the eye, means they are
hiding something or lying. c. In China, long eye contact makes people weird and people
frequently avoid direct eye contact with others. d. In Japan and Africa, prolonged eye contact
is offensive and disrespectful. e. In Arabic cultures, prolonged eye contact shows interest
and helps them understand the other person.. f. People from Africa, Latin America and the
Caribbean avoid eye contact to show respect.
3. 3. FACIAL EXPRESSION o It is considered as universal o Six universal expression: o Smile
is one of the most common facial expressions. a. Americans smile freely at strangers. b.
Asians smile not only to express joy and friendliness but also to convey pain and
embarrassment. c. Russians consider smiling strange and even impolite. d. Mediterranean's,
such as Latin and Arabic cultures, exaggerate grief or sadness while most Americans hide
grief or sorrow.
4. 4. GESTURES o Restrained cultures often feel that animated cultures lack manners and
overall restraint. o Animated cultures often feel that restrained cultures lack emotion or
interest. a. In the Middle East, nodding the head down indicates agreement and nodding it
up is a sign of disagreement. b. In Japan, an up-and-down nod might just be a signal that
someone is listening . c. Americans and Chinese; nodding or moving the head up and down
means “Yes” and shaking the head from one side to the other means “No”. d. In India,
nodding the head means “No” while shaking it means “Yes”
5. 5. GESTURES e. Nodding of the head in other cultures is a sign of acknowledgement or
agreement, but in some cases it only means “I am listening, but I am not in agreement.” f.
Bowing is criticized or rejected in the US, but in Japan, it indicates respect and an
acknowledgment of rank. g. The thumbs-up signal is vulgar in Iran and Latin America. h. “Ok”
signal, refers to money while in others, it is an extremely offensive referring to a private body
part. i. Americans use index finger; Germans use their little finger, Japanese and Thais use
their entire hand to point. j. To start counting, the Germans use their thumb; the Japanese
use their little finger ; the Indonesians use their middle finger
6. 6. GESTURES k. Placing both hands at the sides of the head with the forefingers pointing
upward is a sign of anger, in other culture it is an invitation to make love. l. Some countries
consider a handshake rude. In Middle East, it is always rude to hand an object to another
person with your left hand because it is reserved for matters of personal hygiene. m. While
burping after a meal is considered the height of uncouthness in US, a heartily belch is a sign
of appreciation for the cook in India. n. In China you wave your arms from one side to the
other side to call a taxi on the street; in US, most people will face a taxi at a drive through,
make a fist without the thumb. In China the hand movement means that people agree with
others’ idea or it means “Good” or “I am okay”
7. 7. TOUCH o Each culture has a clear concept of what parts of the body one may not touch. o
It may convey protection, support or disapproval. a. Asians do more touching than
Americans. b. In China, a lot of girls like holding each other’s hand or putting an arm on the
other’s shoulder while walking on the streets. For some Americans and Europeans, this
action seems to close and some of them may think that the girls are homosexuals. c. In
some cultures, patting a child’s head is affectionate or friendly except Asian countries.
8. 8. POSTURE a. Resting the feet on the desk while sitting is common among Americans. In
Asia, Middle East and Europe, it is considered as highly offensive. b. Slouching is rude in
most of Northern Europe and even in some Asian countries. c. Putting hands inside the
pocket while standing is disrespectful in Turkey. d. Sitting with legs crossed is offensive in
Ghana e. In Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Saudi Arabia, showing the sole of the feet while
sitting in formal gatherings is offensive.
9. 9. time o The most central differences that separate cultures and cultural ways of doing
things. a. In US, time is gold, respect for efficiency and the success of economic endeavors
are generally based on time. The Americans’ use of time is monochromic, they do things one
at a time. b. In the East , they treat time as endless and limitless. Their use is polychromic;
that is doing several tasks at the same time. c. In Germany, arriving on time is a sign of
respect and politeness, being late is rude. d. In China, when you are invited to someone’s
house party, you should be there on time or a little bit early. e. Venezuela is another place
where being early or on time is being rude.
10. 10. SMELL a. Arabs consider natural body odor as normal. b. Asians bathe frequently, but
Americans and Europeans criticize this practice TO BE AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR,
TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE CULTURAL VALUES AND CUSTOMS OF YOUR
AUDIENCE.
11. 11. To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we
perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.
-Anthony Robbins